Soon to be 5.

Things at our house will soon be changing yet again.  Travis and I are adding a 3rd baby to our busy household!  This baby will be arriving around January 20th.  We are very excited as are Claire and Ben.  We had fun telling our families again this time around telling them at Travis's 30th birthday party.  This time we wanted to tell everyone while they were all together instead as individuals.  Everyone is very excited for us across the board and no one was surprised that another baby was on the way just that when we told them I was 16 weeks along.  They were impressed that we kept it to ourselves for so long.

It was surprisingly easy to keep the secret to ourselves but as the party was getting closer it was getting harder to keep it together when we were around our friends and family.  We did end up telling our very close friends which helped a lot.  I was super sick with this pregnancy which was near impossible to keep quiet but we somehow managed to do it.  We can not wait to welcome our new baby into this world but there is a lot that still needs to be done to prepare for their arrival.  I will be posting pictures soon of the fam and the newest babe that is on the way as soon as we get the 20 week ultrasound done.

Ugh.

Things around here will be changing a little.  We have to run a more efficient and tighter ship.  We have found out that we will be owing the government a sizable chunk this year and will have to, from now on, pay quite a bit quarterly.  This is because Travis is not an employee of the church but an independent contractor which means that you pay $ .15 on every dollar you make.  Yikes!!  We will have to modify our lives to make way for this awful quarterly payment.  No more house phone, less giving to the church, maybe no TV.  That is going to be a hard one for sure if we have to do it.  We are going to lower the heat even more (Not sure how since it is already set at 60 degrees during the day and 55 at night), really watch leaving things on or plugged in when not in use, and lower the food budget.  This is going to be a very tight ship.  I know we can do it but it will be hard and not very fun.  I was hoping that since we are almost 30, have a family, a home, 2 cars and are pretty good with money that we would be done with living like we are still in the college days.  That's life I guess.  We will get through this just like we did a few years ago.  This would be easier if Travis was going to get a raise but there is just no budget for that this year.  The church is very willing to help in other ways like more days off and landscaping our yard.  These things are great and will be a huge help.  What's not to like about more time with family and a yard we can use?  

And this is my son

I was at home one night, not too long ago, and I was waiting for Travis to come home after a late meeting when I felt something a little wet on my leg. When I looked down I had discovered the wet thing was a tongue and it belonged to my son. This struck me as odd because I have never been licked on the leg before and what made it really odd was the look Ben had after. He kept doing it over and over each time looking grossed out and making the "Stinky" face. I had a little stubble but not much as I had shaved 2 days prior to this encounter.  I have a kind of weird son.  I have tried to post a video several time on here of this encounter but it will not post the video.  I'll keep trying.

Ben's Room

For those of you that have not been to our house or have not had the tour of the homestead Ben has a jungle themed room.  I found these cute "Wall stickers" online about 7 months ago and so I ordered them and waited in anticipation for them in the mail.  When they got here I was disappointed to find out that they were just animal shapes cut out in contact paper.  They were not cheap and when I saw them online they appeared bigger than they really were.  I decided to keep them because I still liked them and the bright colors were fantastic.

Since I received them I often thought that I can easily make my own animals with contact paper and why wouldn't I?  I found this to be rather difficult to achieve since it is super hard to find contact paper in anything other than an awful floral, marble, or wood grain pattern.  One day while shopping in Fred Meyers I spotted one roll of super cute green contact paper.  I snagged it and brought it home with every intention of making Ben a giraffe.  Months passed and I had forgotten all about the giraffe when last night, after the kids were all in bed, I decided this was the perfect time to make the it.  I think it turned out pretty darn cute and about the size of a baby giraffe.  I think now that I need to make a few trees and some jungle vines and his room will finally be complete.  Maybe by the time he is a year I'll have it done!

What am I thankful for? Day 18

I am thankful for a patient dentist.  Today was Claire's first dental appointment and it did not go very well.  She refused to sit in the chair and then of course Ben started crying so I had to pick him up.  I am trying to get her to sit int the chair and I finally get her to, on pain of death, when the dentist come in and reclines the chair and raises it up.  She is not impressed and starts to scream like he it taking dental tools to her eyes.  She is uncomfortable with him being a man as she has always been hesitant of men and the appointment just hits rock bottom.  She has now been in the chair a total of 2 minutes and at least she is screaming and he can see her teeth and he quickly tries to take a look, count them, and put this foam on them.  The hygienist starts to suck Claire's face off with the spit sucker and Claire at this point has started to hyperventilate and turn a little blue.  The dentist looks at me and shouts "I can stop if you want."  I tell him to just finish if he can so he pokes a tooth in the back and says that things are looking great.  He sits Claire up on the chair and she throws herself off towards me and hides behind me for the rest of the conversation with the dentist.  She was in the chair a total of 4 minutes.  She got to pick out her own tooth brush, floss, tooth paste, and a prize and of course now she is fine and smiling.  We get to go back in 6 months.  I can't wait.  

What am I thankful for? Day 17

I am thankful for helpful medical receptionists.  Today I had to make 3 doctors appointments for the family and 3 dental appointments for all of us.  This can be a problem when you have never seen the doctor before and sometimes the front desk, in my experience, can be at times snotty and unhelpful.  Everyone was more than helpful and very nice.  Tomorrow Claire has her first dental appointment.